Womb service: The fourth trimester

When Kate Brindley brought her newborn Clara home two months ago, she instinctively did a lot of things to help soothe and comfort her baby.

Suzanne Laurent

When Kate Brindley brought her newborn Clara home two months ago, she instinctively did a lot of things to help soothe and comfort her baby.

"She's pretty much been held the entire time," said Brindley, a first-time mother who lives in Londonderry with her husband Mike.

"We keep her as warm as we can with blankets galore and lots of snuggly, soft onesies."

Clara is seldom fussy, her mom said, but when she is Brindley finds herself rocking her baby from side to side and "shushing" into her ear.

"Often that brings her to a pretty sound sleep," she said.

Without actually taking a class on what is called the "fourth trimester" of pregnancy, Brindley was practicing the concepts in a book titled "The Happiest Baby on the Block" by Dr. Harvey Karp, assistant professor of pediatrics at the University of California, Los Angeles. In his book and corresponding DVD, Karp teaches parents techniques to re-create the womb experience. He calls the techniques the "5 S's."

These consist of swaddling; placing the baby on her left side or stomach position (until the baby is asleep, then she should be turned onto her back); shushing sounds, which imitate the continual whooshing sound made by blood flowing through arteries near the womb; swinging movements; and sucking, which triggers a calming reflex.

'Great Beginnings'

Childbirth educators at Wentworth-Douglass Hospital in Dover teach a class called "Great Beginnings" that is modeled on "The Happiest Baby on the Block."

"The newborn has gone from a dimly lit warm environment in the womb with a sort of white noise," said Stacy Swain, a childbirth educator at Wentworth-Douglass. "They are never cold or hungry. After they're born, their mom is still their natural habitat."

Swain noted that in many other cultures, "moms wear their babies," keeping them close to their chest throughout their day.

"During the day, if I need to get things done and Clara's fussy, I tuck her into a sling with her head on my chest," Brindley said. "It hugs her pretty close to me, and she'll usually drop right off to sleep with me walking around and getting things done."

Swain said it's important for new parents to learn these baby-soothing techniques.

"Parents can't spoil a newborn," she said. "Babies that young do not have the cognitive ability to manipulate you. When they are around 5 or 6 months, they start to realize cause and effect."

New moms need nourishing, too

Cheri Sloane, a registered nurse in the maternity unit at Portsmouth Regional Hospital, said babies are nocturnal at first but wakeful during the night.

She and Suzie Vanasse, also a registered nurse in PRH's maternity unit, are developing a curriculum for expectant and new parents that will include a class on what to expect when the baby goes home.

"Everyone focuses on the actual day of labor, but that is one day," Sloane said. "There is so much to discuss about going home."

Sloane recommends sleeping when the baby sleeps even if it's at 9 in the morning.

"We also talk about postpartum depression, or 'baby blues'," she said. All new moms are screened for risk of depression and if it is suspected, the nursing staff will alert the woman's obstetrician of this risk.

"We also recommend getting help from others during those first few weeks, whether it's the dad or a relative or friend," Sloan said.

She emphasized that crying is normal during the first few months of life.

"We teach our patients about what is called 'purple crying'," she said. "The baby is adjusting to life outside the womb and a lot of crying is normal. We want to avoid the shaken baby syndrome."

While the American Academy of Pediatrics cautions against co-sleeping with an infant, some moms will choose to do so anyway.

"We recommend having the infant sleep within an arm's reach in a separate bassinet close to the mother so she can breast-feed the baby easily during the night," Swain said.

Brindley received her childbirth education classes from Mimi Mandile, a registered nurse and internationally certified childbirth educator who gives childbirth and Baby and You classes at Parkland Medical Center in Derry, PRH's sister hospital.

Mandile said in addition to practicing close cuddling techniques, infant massage is also beneficial for both baby and new mom. She said infant massage promotes bonding by giving parents an opportunity to connect, interact and share quality time. It can also help with postpartum depression.

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